Red Chapel Base South

The circulating base row of Grano-Diorite blocks show on all sides of the Red Chapel personified nomes of Upper and Lower Egypt or personified monuments, which bring their products to Amun. The alignment of the persons is uniform, on both, the north and the south side, they look to the east, on the other sides of the facade they look to the axis of the chapel (thus, to the gates).

Based on their grammatical gender all places and all palaces are represented by an identical male, androgynous figure (Nile / Hapi), all temples, indicated by a

"Hwt"-sign, are represented by an identical female (see also Block 179/242). Both figures are always shown kneeling and presenting an offering table with two vases and a was-scepter, on their arms two Ankh-signs are hanging by a thread.

Always above the figure(s) the name of the temple, palace or place (nome) is given. All temples are mounted on a sledge

all names of nomes are presented with the usual standard;

In front of each name of a temple or palace there is a short phrase of the type:
rDj=f anX nb mj Ra or the female version - rDj=s anX .. - "He/She (may) give all life like Ra".

In front of the name of the nomes this phrase is given or a similar like:
rDj=f anX Dd wAs nb "He (may) give all life, duration, happiness".

In front of each personified building or place (nome or part of a nome) short phrases in one or more vertical registers read:

"Dd mdw (jn): Jtj n=k: ......" = "Words to say [by the personified nome, ..]: I bring to you (Amun), all ..........".
Among them:

This page shows the row of Grano-Diorite blocks forming the base of the south-wall. The circulating row of base block is incomplete, i.e. the south-wall shown here is interrupted several times due to missing blocks. The photos on this page are arranged here vertically but in the same order as the blocks are to be viewed on the wall, i.e. the row is interrupted in each case, where blocks are missing. Each individual series starts as in the south-wall with its eastern (right) block.

Otto was the first who tried to localize places in the Theben nome. He used materials which were gathered by Sethe on the topography of the Theben nome extended and published it in 1952. Among others the material and the publication both addressed the name of places mentioned on the walls of the Red Chapel and made an attempt to assign a location to the names given.
Nims pointed to the fact that Otto was handicapped to some extent because for the time of World War 2 and the first years thereafter several publications were unavailable to him. Moreover, it was not possible for Otto to visit Luxor before the publication of his study - this of course would have resulted in a few corrections. Therefore, Nims published in 1955 some corrections and extensions Otto could not do by himself.

Among the canals mentioned Nims assumed that that of Aa-Cheper-Ka-Ra (Thutmosis I) and that of Men-Cheper-Ra (Thutmosis III) must have gone to their mortuary temples. The "Canal of Amun who is in front of the Xnty hn" was most likely near or leading to the building "Xnty [pr] hn".

The following identification of the places mentioned on the blocks the of the Red Chapel takes into consideration the publications of Otto and Nims, missing assignments and the transcription were kindly provided by M. Stuhr.

Block 185, Scene 1 - @wt-Jmn Jpt-Swt

= The Temple of Amun at Ip.t-Swt Karnak) called "The first choice of all places."

From right to left the vertical texts mentions the followings things brought to Amun:

all food, all offerings

all stocks, all gifts

thousands of the "Good Things" that come from Upper-Egypt

Block 185, Scene 2 - @wt-[MAat-kA-Ra] Dsr-Dsrw Imn

= The Temple of Maat-Ka-Ra (called): Amun is the holy of holies (Djeser djeseru)

the right column reports about bringing of all food, all offerings

the name of Hatshepsut has been deliberately destroyed

Block 185/243, Scene 3 - @wt-MAat-kA-Ra xaj (m) AXt Imn

= The Temple of Maat-Ka-Ra (called): the Appearance of the Horizon of Amun (unknown temple on the west-bank)

the right column reports about the bringing of all gifts, all offerings

Block 243, Scene 4 - mr-Jmn wab QbH

= Canal of Amun, "Pure and Cool."

the right column reports about bringing of all yearly income (natural products), fresh and clean

Block 179, Scene 5 - @wt-MAat-kA-Ra mr.t (n) Mwt nb.t ISrw

= The Temple of Maat-Ka-Ra, beloved of Mut, Lady of ISrw.

Block 179, Scene 6 - @wt-MAat-kA-Ra mr.t Jmn Xntj pr-hn

= The Palace of Maat-Ka-Ra beloved of Amun, who is in front of the Per Hen (Xnty pr hn; House of the Chests?)

the right column reports about bringing of all food and all offerings

Block 179/242, Scene 7 - @wt-MAat-kA-Ra Xm-dsr Jmn

= The Temple of Maat-Ka-Ra (called): Amun splendid in the Sanctuary.

the right column reports about bringing of all stocks

Male / Nile

here clearly an error happened during the decoration of the block, according to both, the Hwt-sign and the female way of writing of the formula standing in front of the name, the figure would have had to be female

Block 242, Scene 8 - mr-Jmn Xntj hn

= The Canal of Amun, who is in front of the Xnty hn (Chest ?)

the right column reports about bringing of all yearly income (natural products), fresh and clean

Block 242, Scene 9 - aH-nsw @wt-MAat-kA-Ra Jmn nn wAt jr=f

= The Royal Palace of Maat-Ka-Ra (called): "Amun, I am not far from him".

the right column reports about bringing of all offerings and all gifts

Block 290, Scene 10 - @wt-aA-Xpr-kA-Ra xnmt onX

= The Temple of Aa-Cheper-Ka-Ra (Thutmosis I), united with life

the right column reports about bringing of all offerings and all joy

Block 290, Scene 11 - mr-nsw aA-Xpr-kA-Ra

= The Royal Canal of Aa-Cheper-Ka-Ra (Thutmosis I)

the right column reports about bringing of all things and all gifts, fresh and clean

Block 290, Scene 12 - @wt-Mn-Xpr-Ra Hnkt (m) ankh

= The Temple of Men-Cheper-Ra (Thutmosis III), who is given life.

the right column reports about bringing of all stocks and all things, fresh and clean

Block 290, Scene 13 - mr-nsw Mn-Xpr-Ra st-jb Nwn

= The Royal Canal of Men-Cheper-Ra, The Place of the Heart of Nun.

the right column reports about bringing of all food and all offerings

Block 290/296, Scene 14 - @wt-MAat-kA-Ra mr.t Jmn nb jpt

= The Temple of Maat-Ka-Ra, beloved of Amun, Lord of the Ipet.

the right column reports about bringing of all offerings and all gifts

Block 296, Scene 15 - @wt-MAat-ka-Ra Jmn Dsr xtjw .....

= The Temple of Maat-Ka-Ra (called): Amun is holy on his stairs (or terrace).

the right column reports about bringing of all things and all offerings

Block 296, Scene 16 - @wt-MAat-kA-Ra Sspt(j) nfrw Jmn

= The 2nd Station, the Chapel (Temple) of Maat-Ka-Ra, who is given the beauty of Amun

the right column reports about bringing of all yearly income (natural products) and all gifts

Block 220, Scene 17 - �A-wr

= Tawer = "The oldest Country" = gr. This-Abydos, 8. nome of Upper Egypt

the right column reports about bringing of all things, all gifts, and all yearly income (natural products)

Block 220, Scene 18 - mnw

= Menu = gr. Panopolis, 9. nome of Upper Egypt

the right column reports about bringing of all food and all stocks

Block 220/20, Scene 19 - wADjt

= Wadjt = gr. Aphroditopolis, 10. nome of Upper Egypt

the right column reports about bringing of all game, fresh and clean

Female due to the sex of the nome

Block 20, Scene 20 - CA

= Sha = "Seth" = gr. Hyps�lis, 11. nome of Upper Egypt

the right column reports about bringing of all things and offerings

Block 20, Scene 21 - Atft

= Atfet (earlier read as Ewft, see Hannig, German-Egyptian Dict., p. 1604) = Hi�racon,12. nome of Upper Egypt

the right column reports about bringing of all food, all offerings

Female due to the sex of the nome